- Setup a statistical database with monetary data, interest and exchange rates, and balance of payments data.- Introduce advance release caltndars for the "Information and Statistics Bulletin".- Computerization of all BCEAO accounting operations to improve timeliness of data.

Short-term

Depository corporations survey

- Draft reform of the Chart of Accounts of the BCEAO to better conform to international standards and to the practices of other central banks.- Reduction to 45 days in the time needed for production and publication of monetary statistics.- Creation of a statistical database accessible to the public.- Implementation of the new "Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual" .- All the monetary and financial series will be published on the BCEAO website (http://www.bceao.int)

Short-term

- Preparation of a financial survey.- Implementation of an efficient system for forecasting monetary aggregates.- Setup of a statistical database.

Medium-term

Central bank survey

Draft reform of the Central Bank Chart of Accounts for closer conformity with international standards and the practices of other central banks.

Implementation of the new "Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual".

Short-term

Interest rates

The growing participation by the States of the Union in the capital market will eventually lead, in the medium term, to the listing and publication of interest rates on short-term as well as medium- and long-term government securities

Medium-term

Balance of payments

- Building the capacity of the units responsible for compiling the quarterly balance of payments at BCEAO Headquarters and in the BCEAO National Agencies for each WAEMU member state;- Use of statistics from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to improve coverage of the foreign assets of other sectors.

Short-term

- The Headquarters of the BCEAO intends to conduct a specific survey of stocks of foreign direct investment in the WAEMU countries, in terms of balances, with a view to improving statistical coverage of this item in the balance of payments and the international investment position.- Use of the balance sheets of enterprises compiled in accordance with the West African Accounting System (SYSCOA), when they are available in the WAEMU Central Balance Sheet Office, with a view to improving the quality of the data collected through questionnaires. (The Central Balance Sheet Office is the database created from the balance sheets of official enterprises, whose turnover meets a certain threshold, operating in WAEMU territory). These data contain such information as the names, addresses, sources of capital, turnover, and net earnings of enterprises, etc. - Creation of a network of Union statisticians responsible for balance of payments statistics.

Medium-term

Official reserve assets

- With the implementation of a BCEAO statistical database, metadata on the statistical series will be available;- Computerization of all the Central Bank's accounting operations, which should help reduce the lag time for data availability.

Short-term

International investment position (IIP)

- Building the capacity of the units responsible for compiling the quarterly balance of payments, at BCEAO Headquarters and in the BCEAO National Agencies for each WAEMU member state, should also help speed up compilation of the IIP.- Use of statistics from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to improve coverage of the foreign assets of other sectors.

Short-term

- The Headquarters of the BCEAO intends to conduct a specific survey of stocks of foreign direct investment in the WAEMU countries, in terms of balances, with a view to improving statistical coverage of this item in the international investment position and the international investment position.- Use of the balance sheets of enterprises compiled in accordance with the West African Accounting System (SYSCOA), when they are available in the WAEMU Central Balance Sheet Office, with a view to improving the quality of the data collected through questionnaires. (The Central Balance Sheet Office is the database created from the balance sheets of official enterprises, whose turnover meets a certain threshold, operating in WAEMU territory). These data contain such information as the names, addresses, sources of capital, turnover, and net earnings of enterprises, etc. - Creation of a network of Union statisticians responsible for balance of payments and IIP statistics.

ERETES: This approach calls for the implementation of a new classification of activities and products consistent with the international standard industrial classification (ISIC). The development of sectoral accounts, particularly the rest of the world account, will incorporate the recommendations of the IMF "Balance of Payments Manual", 5th edition.

Agricultural data: A national agricultural survey is planned by the Ministry of Agriculture with financial support from the European Union and FAO assistance. This survey will make it possible to establish new agricultural data and to improve estimates.

Data on the Census of Companies (1996): This census has made information available on the demographics of companies in Côte d'Ivoire and on their weight in terms of sales. However, the INS is in the process of improving its data collection system in order to provide a balance sheet central office that is sufficiently large and representative.

- An annual national survey on industry and a survey on private investment are planned for 2002. In addition, the producer price and monthly sales indices will compensate for the inadequacy of data on companies. Methodological and conceptual work has already begun for all these new operations. However, financing has not yet been arranged.

- Create an observatory. - Compilation of regional accounts- Capacity building to shorten the lag time for publication of the national accounts- Conduct survey on informal sector

Medium-term

- Financing needed for survey on industrial sector and for observatory. None

Production index

Updating of the sample and system of weights for the index is planned for the near future within the framework of WAEMU. The new base year will be 1996. The scope will be broader, particularly with extraction and distribution of gas.

Short-term

Employment

AGEPE plans to prepare annual publications on the employment and unemployment situation.

Short-term

Financial assistance needed to allow INS to conduct ad hoc surveys each year for the employment studies.

There are plans to conduct a survey of companies with the participation of the INS.

Medium-term

Consumer price index

The national survey on the household consumption budget scheduled for 2001 - 2002 will make it possible to update the weights of the price indices.

Short-term

Merchandise trade

- Establish a procedure at the border to compile statistics on locally produced merchandise in imports and exports which are not covered by customs.- Improvement of the various publications on external trade.